Rotary cloth-pressing machine.



No. 893,956. PATENTBD JULY 21, 1908.

' G. W. VOELKER.

ROTARY CLOTH PRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1,906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3a wank Witnuno 6607a 1A6] gr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. VOELKER, OF WOONSOOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

Romany cLorn-ranssme MACHINE.

Patented July 21, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. VOELKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Woonsocket,-in the-county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Cloth-Pressing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accom anying drawing.

This invention relates to lmprovements in rotary cloth pressing machines and has for its object to provide a rotatable roll or shaft having a worm or screw formation on its face to act on the cloth as it is passed through the machine to stretch the same in the direction of its width.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the extent to which the cloth may be stretched may be varied and controlled or regulated at will .by the operator of the machine while said machine is in motion.

The usual method of stretching cloth in a I machine of this character is by a rotating roll the face of which is provided with two sets of longitudinally movable slats, whereby as the roll revolves each'set of slats as they come in contact with the cloth move from the center outward towards the edge of the cloth thereby having a tendency to stretch the same as it passes over the roll. There are many objections to this method of stretching. First, the amount of stretch to which the cloth may be subjected by a single roll is limited to the throw or movement of the slats in that roll. If more or less stretch is desired another roll especially designed for such amount of stretch must replace the one already in the machine. Then again, the reciprocating slats in this style of roll are all hung on joints which joints require oil and this oil often times runs out onto the cloth and spoils the same as it is carried over the roll. Then again, the face of these reciprocating slats must be coveredwith cloth in order to provide them with the necessary frictional qualities, and this cloth has to be replaced often as the sliding movement against the face of the fabric passing over it soon destroyed the covering.

My improved stretcher roll obviates all of the above objections and consists of a roll comparatively small in diameter and rovided on its face with a screw or wormike formation commencing at its center portion This construction of worm stretcher roll requires no oil on its surface thereby obviating the liability of injuring the cloth from this cause, it does not require a covering of cloth or other destructible material, to be easily torn out, and by its small diameter may be placed very close to the presser beds, which is of vital importance in a device of this character in order to prevent the cloth from reacting or shrinking together again before it is pressed and held in the desired position.

Another and important feature of this invention'is that the roll is provided with a plurality of gears of different dimeters and means are provided including a sliding driving gear whereby the speed of said stretcher may be varied at the will of the operator by simply sliding the driving gear from one of these gears to the other, without being obliged to stop the machine for this purpose.

It will be seen by the operation of my improved device that practically any amount of stretch to the cloth may be obtained by simply changing the speed of this one roll.

The invention is fully set forth in this specification and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1* is a diagrammatic end view illustrating some of the mechanism of the rotary cloth presser showing the position of the rotary worm stretcher in relation to the presser beds, also showing the cloth line as it passes through the machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the rotary worm stretcher roll illustrating the worm or screw formation on the surface of the roll and the manner by which the speed of the roll is changed through the medium of cone gears. Fig. 3- is an enlarged end view of the worm roll, in. section showing its construction. Fig. 4 is a view of the shifting handle and shifting 10o gears in section illustrating the pinion as being adapted to slide on the sleeve of the sprocket wheel. Fig. 5 is an end elevation illustrating the shifting handle and its various positions taken when engaging the different gears. .Fig'. 6- shows a casing adapted to cover the gears through which casing the shifting handle projects. Fig. 7 is the cover or lid which is pivoted to said casing by which the shifting handle is locked or retained in its various positions. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the casing showing the cover in position thereon.

Referring to the drawings at 11 are the usual presser beds and 2 the pressing roll that rotates between said beds. At 3 the dotdash line represents the travel of the cloth over the various rolls, 4 and 5 representing the brush rolls which operate on opposite sides of said strip of cloth as it passes through the machine. At 6 is the worm stretcher roll preferably constructed of a comparatively small diameter which is located, as will be observed, in close proximity to the upper edge of the presser bed. driven in any convenient way but the same is shown as being driven through one of the cone gears 21, gear 28, pinion 24, sprocket 10 and sprocket chain 11 and small sprocket 12 from the brush wheel shaft 13.

In the construction of the worm stretcher roll I preferably take a steel shaft 14 of the proper diameter onto which I force a shell of brass tubing 15. In forming the worm or screw thread on this shell I start in the middle of the same at 16 and wind a wire around said shell in the form of a screw, one side 17 of the center forming a right-hand thread and the opposite side 18 forming a left-hand thread, each of the threads extending to their respective ends of the roll.

Although I have described one way of constructing the worm or screw threaded roll, I do not wish to confine myself to any particular construction of the same, as it may be formed by casting or turning, or in any other way to produce such a roll for the purpose of stretching or spreading the cloth by a rotating screw action upon the face of the same. This roll is supported at both its ends in suitable bearings in the frame 19, one end of the shaft extending beyond the frame at 20 onto which end is fixed a series of gears of different diameters as shown at 21, 22 and 23.

At 24 is a pinion gear, see Fig. 4, which is keyed to slide in and out on the sleeve 25, the key-way in said sleeve being shown at 26 in Fig. 2, and to this sleeve is secured the sprocket wheel 10 through which the sleeve is driven. The lower end of the operating handle 27 is bent in a U-shape to inclose two sides of the said pinion 24, this portion of the handle is also provided with holes to loosely fit over the sleeve 25. An intermediate gear 28 is held to engage the pinion 24 and rotate freely on the pin 29 which pin is also secured to the said operating handle 27 both of these gears and the handle being mounted on the end of the shaft 30, the collar 31 is secured to the outer end of said shaft to hold the said mechanism in position thereon.

At 32 is a casing constructed to fit over and cover the gears above mentioned. This casing is supported from the frame 19 and held in position by the bolt 32 that passes This roll may be through the ear 33, see Fig. 4. An opening 34 through the upper portion of this casing is provided through which the operating lever 27 extends. This opening is also rovided with recesses 35, 36 and 37, wliich recesses are for the purpose of receiving and retaining said operating lever so that the gear 28 mounted thereon may be carried over into mesh with the corresponding cone gear it is to drive. In order to securely hold or look the lever in any of these recesses, and also to admit of its free movement from one recess to the other I have provided a lid or cover 38 that is hinged to the upper portion of this casing through the ears 39 and 40 by the pin 41. This lid or cover when closed is adapted to engage the lever in any of its positions as it extends through the various recesses, but when it is desired to move said lever from one recess to the other the cover or lid is raised by pressing on the handle 42 thereby releasing the lever and allowing a free movement of the same from one to another, after which said lid is allowed to fall and firmly lock and retain the same in position.

Another feature of these recesses is that said lever rests against the inner edge or wall 43 of'the same, thus controlling the distance to which the teeth of the driving gear shall mesh with those of the driven gear and prevent the gears from bottoming to obtain the best results from the same.

By use of my improved rotary stretcher roll and its driving mechanism the stretch or spread of the cloth passing over the same is practically unlimited and the amount of said stretch may be nicely adjusted and regulated to suit the conditions and requirements of goods of different quality as they pass through the machine. This roll is extremely simple in its construction and therefore the liability of getting out of order is entirely eliminated. On account of the same being constructed entirely of metal and without reciprocating or moving parts its working life is practically unlimited. The thread is formed on the roll in accordance to the direction the same is to travel, therefore said roll may be run either with or against the travel of the cloth as desired.

An essential feature of my improvement is that this roll thus formed may be of a comparatively small diameter thereby per mitting the same to be laced in close proximity to the presser bed so as to reduce to a minimum the opportunity that the cloth will have to react or spring back after it has been stretched and before it enters the presser beds.

The convenient means by which the various amounts of stretch in the cloth may be obtained, which is that of simply moving a lever, is also a very desirable feature in machines of this character.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is:

1. In a cloth pressing machine, the combination with a presser roll and presser beds therefor, of a stretcher r011 comprising a shaft, a sheathing of softer material on said shaft, and a helically arranged wire secured to the periphery of said sheath.

2. In a cloth bination with a presser roll and presser beds therefor, of a stretcher roll com rising a shaft, a sheath of softer materia on said shaft and a helically arranged wire to the periphery of said sheath and extendmg in opposite directions from the center thereof,

3. A cloth pressing machine comprising a stretcher r011 having a helically arranged pressing machine, the com-- secured wire secured to its periphery, means for rotating said roll, and means for varying the speed of rotation, whereby the degree of stretch is correspondingly varied.

4. A cloth pressing machine com rising a stretcher r011 formed of a shaft, a sheathing of softer material on said shaft, and a he1i cally arranged wiresecured to the periphery of said sheath, in combination with means for rotating said roll, and means .for varying the speed of rotation, whereby the degree of stretch is correspondingl varied.

In testimony whereof i affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE W. VOELKER. 

